The Day Patrick Mahomes Lost His Best Friend – And What He Did Next

When Patrick Mahomes lost his best friend, his world fell apart. This is the story of heartbreak, silence, and the powerful moment that changed him forever. It’s a raw journey of love, loss, and resilience—one that will leave you breathless.

I held him in my arms, and I knew I’d never see my best friend again. Patrick whispered, “That day broke me.” Those weren’t just words. That was pain—pure, raw pain. Because before the world saw Patrick Mahomes as a Super Bowl MVP, a record-breaker, a global icon, he was just a kid from Tyler, Texas. A boy raised by a single mother who worked double shifts to keep the lights on, and a father who was often away, chasing his own baseball dreams.

In the middle of all that uncertainty, Patrick found light in a friend—a brother in everything but blood. His name was Marcus Taylor, and he wasn’t just Patrick’s best friend. He was his safe place, his escape, his second chance. They laughed at the same dumb jokes. They played catch for hours in the backyard, tossing spirals until the sun set and their hands were raw. They dreamed of NFL stadiums while sitting on torn-up bleachers, imagining crowds chanting their names.

But more than anything, they understood each other’s struggle. Both had fathers who weren’t always around. Both had days when dinner was whatever they could find in the fridge. Both had reasons to give up. But they didn’t—because they had each other.

Marcus’s mom, Miss Taylor, saw something in Patrick. She took him in on nights when his mom worked late, fed him, cheered him on at games, treated him like her own. For a whole year, Patrick lived more at the Taylors’ house than his own. That house became his foundation. That friendship became his lifeline. Patrick once said, “Without Marcus, I don’t know if I’d even be here today.” He meant every word.

Because Marcus wasn’t just a friend who played football. He was the one who helped Patrick stay focused. The one who’d pull him away from fights. The one who reminded him, “You’re built for more, Pat. Don’t throw it away.” That voice mattered. That presence kept him grounded.

But what happens when the one who saves you can’t save himself?

As Patrick rose—state titles, national rankings, ESPN headlines—Marcus started to drift. The streets pulled harder. The fear of being left behind hurt. And slowly, the best friend who once kept Patrick safe began to slip into danger. Patrick noticed. He called. He texted. He begged. But Marcus only smiled and said, “I’m good, Pat. Just proud of you, man. Proud. Always proud.” Even as pain hid behind his voice.

Then everything stopped. A single call, a single moment.

Marcus was gone. Gone forever.

What Patrick did next changed everything.

Patrick stood frozen, phone pressed to his ear, his world collapsing in slow motion. “Marcus is gone, Pat.” Those three words shattered him. At first, he didn’t speak. He couldn’t. His throat tightened. His chest burned. The sound of the world just disappeared. Gone.

No, not Marcus. Not the boy who once shared his cleats when Patrick’s were falling apart. Not the one who stayed up all night before the state finals, helping calm Patrick’s nerves. No, you’re wrong, Patrick finally muttered. He was just at my game. He said he was proud. But it was true.

Marcus Taylor had been found lifeless. Drug overdose. Alone.

Patrick dropped the phone. He couldn’t breathe. He walked out of the locker room, eyes wide but empty, collapsing against the hallway wall. He didn’t care who saw him cry. The MVP was a broken kid again. He sat there for hours, back against the cold wall, mind stuck in rewind. Every laugh, every high five, every warning he tried to give Marcus. Every time Marcus waved it off like it was nothing. “I failed him,” Patrick whispered to himself. “I left him behind.”

The NFL spotlight never blinded Patrick, but it separated him. While he was signing contracts and hearing MVP chants, Marcus was slipping quietly, silently, and Patrick didn’t even see how far he’d fallen until it was too late.

“He was supposed to come with me,” Patrick told his mother, his voice cracked with guilt. “I promised him we’d make it out together.” Randi hugged him tight and wordless. Her face said everything. She’d watched Marcus fade just like Patrick had. But none of them wanted to believe it would end this way.

That night, Patrick sat alone in his room, holding an old photo—the two of them at age 14, smiling with gap teeth and matching jerseys. He stared at Marcus’s face and whispered, “I’m sorry, bro. I should have pulled you harder.”

But sorrow turned into fire. Marcus had saved Patrick’s life once. Now it was Patrick’s turn to make sure his friend wasn’t forgotten. “I’m not letting his name fade,” Patrick said, eyes red but burning with purpose. “I’ll carry him with me every game, every moment, every win.”

That loss, that deep personal pain, became the spark. Patrick didn’t just want to win anymore. He wanted to matter. Not for trophies, not for fame, but for Marcus. From that day forward, every time Patrick stepped onto the field, he carried more than pressure. He carried a promise.

Patrick wiped his face as he stepped into the stadium. It wasn’t just another game. It was the first game since Marcus’s funeral. The crowd roared like always. Cameras flashed. Reporters shouted questions, but Patrick didn’t hear any of it. All he could hear was Marcus’s laugh echoing in his head.

As the anthem played, Patrick closed his eyes and whispered, “This one’s for you, bro. You’re with me now.” But deep inside, he was battling something bigger than the opponent on the field—guilt, grief, pressure. Could he even play?

The ball snapped. The game began, but Patrick missed his first three passes. He looked lost, like a man carrying something no one else could see. The coach called timeout. “Pat, you good?” a teammate asked, hand on his shoulder. He nodded, but he wasn’t. He looked up at the scoreboard. His team down by 14. His hands were shaking. His mind was racing. You let him down once, that voice inside whispered. Don’t let him down again.

Patrick took a deep breath. He closed his eyes for a second and pictured Marcus—not the Marcus from the funeral, but the one who used to shout from the stands, “Pat, you were made for this. Finish it like we planned.” That’s when something clicked.

Patrick stood up, shoulders square, eyes locked. Next play, he dodged a sack, threw a 40-yard touchdown. Then another, and another. Suddenly, he wasn’t playing for stats. He was playing for Marcus. Every throw, every scramble, every touchdown was a memory, a promise, a piece of his heart laid on the field.

Commentators were stunned. “He’s playing like a man possessed.” By the fourth quarter, the entire stadium could feel it. This wasn’t just a game. This was personal. With 8 seconds left, down by four, Patrick had the ball. Timeout. The whole team huddled. Everyone looked at him. “You ready?” the coach asked. Patrick didn’t blink. He whispered under his breath, “Let’s end this, Marcus.”

As the play resumed, Patrick dodged one defender, then another. He launched a Hail Mary into the end zone. The entire stadium held its breath. “Caught! Touchdown! Game over!” The crowd erupted, but Patrick didn’t celebrate. He just pointed to the sky, tears in his eyes, and whispered again, “We did it.”

That night in the press conference, when asked what fueled his performance, he didn’t talk about strategy or practice. He simply said, “Grief either destroys you or it gives you power. Tonight, I chose power. And I chose Marcus.”

The locker room was quiet. Patrick sat alone, jersey soaked in sweat, tears dried on his cheeks. The game was over. The roar of the crowd had faded. But inside him, something had awakened—a quiet strength he hadn’t felt in weeks. The win wasn’t about football. It wasn’t about stats or revenge. It was about something far more sacred. It was for Marcus.

One of the assistant coaches handed him a small package. “This came for you earlier—from Marcus’s mom.” Patrick opened it slowly. Inside was a photo, an old one. Him and Marcus, arms around each other, barely teenagers, holding a battered football on a dusty field. Scribbled on the back, in Marcus’s handwriting, were five words: Don’t ever stop. Keep going.

Patrick couldn’t hold it anymore. He lowered his head and cried—quiet, broken sobs that had waited too long. That night, he didn’t go out. He drove straight to Marcus’s house. Miss Taylor opened the door, her face still hollow with grief. But when she saw Patrick, she pulled him into a hug that said everything words couldn’t.

“I watched the game,” she whispered. “He would have been so proud.” Patrick handed her the game ball. “He was there,” he said softly. “Every second of it.” They sat together for hours, looking through old photos, retelling stories that once brought laughter and now brought tears. For the first time since Marcus’s death, Patrick wasn’t holding it in.

The next morning, Patrick announced something that took everyone by surprise—a foundation named after Marcus to support underprivileged kids. Kids like them, from neighborhoods like theirs, who had talent but no opportunity. “I lost my brother,” Patrick said at the press conference, voice steady, eyes red. “But I’m going to turn that pain into purpose. Marcus believed in people when no one else did. Now I will, too.”

Media outlets covered it. Fans shared it. But for Patrick, it wasn’t about attention. It was about making sure Marcus never disappeared—not from the world, not from his heart.

The pain was still there. Some nights were harder than others. He’d pick up the phone to text Marcus before realizing he couldn’t. He’d see someone laughing and remember their inside jokes. But instead of crushing him, the memories started to light his way. On the field, he played with a fire people hadn’t seen before. But off the field, he changed too—kinder, wiser, more human. Because when you lose someone who shaped your soul, you’re never the same. And Patrick didn’t want to be. He wanted to carry Marcus with him—not just in wins, not just in trophies, but in how he lived.

If you’ve ever lost someone you couldn’t imagine living without, ask yourself: how did you move on? That’s what Patrick asked his millions of followers the night after the press conference. No filters, no cameras—just him sitting in his room, phone in hand, voice low, eyes tired. He wasn’t a superstar anymore. He was just a man grieving, healing, hoping someone out there felt the same.

And people responded in thousands. Some shared how they lost siblings. Others wrote about best friends who passed in accidents. Parents, cousins, mentors. The comments turned into confessions. The post became a safe space for pain, for healing, for humanity.

Because Patrick didn’t just win a game. He opened a wound everyone hides. In that moment, fans stopped seeing just the athlete. They saw the man. And more importantly, they saw themselves.

That’s what this story is about—not just football, not just loss, but what we do with the pain. Marcus didn’t get to see the championship, but through Patrick’s fire, through the foundation, through every kid who will now get a chance, he lives.

That’s the power of turning grief into greatness.

So now it’s your turn. Who’s your Marcus? What dream did they help you believe in? And what are you doing today to honor them? If you’ve ever had someone who saw something in you before the world ever did, remember them. Keep them alive through stories, through action, through love.

Because life isn’t just about how far we throw the ball. It’s about how we rise after we fall. This isn’t just a story about Patrick Mahomes. This is a story about all of us—everyone who’s ever loved, lost, broken, rebuilt, and found the strength to keep going. Not despite the pain, but because of it.

Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes’ Most Fun Friendship Moments

The dynamic duo — who’ve been tight since Mahomes joined the Chiefs in 2017 — knows how to make magic on and off the field

Sure, Travis Kelce’s heartwarming moments with his big bro, Jason Kelce are unbeatable. But, outside his family, the 34-year-old tight for the Kansas City Chiefs end has a brotherly bond with his fellow teammate, quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Not only does the terrific twosome create electrifying plays on the football field, but they also create a hilarious dynamic off the field. From matching ensembles to clowning each other, here are Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes’ most memorable friendship moments.

When They Won the Super Bowl Together

Fans got up close and personal when the two men were mic-ed up during Super Bowl LIV. You can hear both Mahomes and Kelce motivating their teammates to the 31 to 20 victory, which garnered them the W over the San Francisco 49ers in 2020.

And Then Did It Again!

Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes.Christian Petersen/Getty

They followed up the 2020 victory with another one during Super Bowl LVII. Though Travis and the Chiefs were up against Jason and the Philadelphia Eagles, the 34-year-old admitted that he was in a win-win situation in some ways.

“He’s my brother, man,” Kelce said of Jason while on KMBC 9, adding, “I’m playing against a brother and I’m playing with one. It’s a pretty cool scenario to be in.”

When They Partied Like Rockstars

Kansa City Chiefs celebrating Super Bowl win.Jay Biggerstaff/Getty

The decorated Pro Bowlers were pictured having a good time while celebrating their second Super Bowl championship in February this year.

(And we had to say it: Get you someone who looks at you the way Patrick Mahomes looks at Travis Kelce.)

When They Twinned at the ‘Quarterback’ Premiere

Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce Match.Steve Granitz/Getty

It may not have been on purpose, but this twinning moment between the two remains one of the funniest.

For the premiere of Netflix’s Quarterback — which chronicled Mahomes, Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota’s lives as pro quarterbacks — Kelce and Mahomes accidentally showed up wearing matching mint-green suits.

“Wish it was planned,” Mahomes, wrote in his Instagram Story showing a shot of him and Kelce posing together above a photo of Twins stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito in matching suits, adding laughing emojis.

“Looks like you guys read each others’ minds off the field too #Twins,” former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman chimed in on his own Stories.

When Mahomes Saved His Bro From Embarrassing Himself at the White House

A good friend is always there to save you from yourself. And that’s exactly what Mahomes did for Kelce when the Kansas City Chiefs went to the White House following their Super Bowl LVII win.

After presenting Joe Biden with his very own Chiefs jersey, Kelce beelined to the presidential podium and began addressing the audience. “So I have been waiting for this—” the tight end began before Mahomes swooped in and swiftly escorted him off as the crowd laughed.

On an episode of New Heights, which he hosts with his brother Jason Kelce, Travis addressed the incident.

“Obviously, the president at the podium, it’s iconic right? And how he usually addresses the nation, [he says] ‘To my fellow Americans,'” Travis explained. “That’s all I wanted to say, dude,” he said through laughter. “I shouldn’t have started off with ‘I’ve always wanted to do this,'” he said before admitting, “Pat knew I was in over my head, man.”

And Then Travis Hilariously Got His Moment at the ESPYs

Travis seized his moment when the Chiefs won for best team at the 2023 ESPYs. Right as Mahomes was about to make an acceptance speech on behalf of the team, Kelce playfully shoved him out the way. “Nah, man, you already took one mic away from me, you’re not gonna take another,” he joked. “I’ve got something to say.”

When They Conquered Another Sport

Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.Christian Petersen/Getty

During the off-season, the pair also enjoys playing golf together.

This past June, the two Chiefs took on Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in a celebrity golf tournament titled, The Match. The Pro Bowlers continued their winning streak and defeated the NBA Players.

When They Opened Up About Their Meet-Cute

The strongest bonds are forged in fire and the bond between these two is no different. Apparently, the two knew they would get along swimmingly when they both coincidentally arrived late for practice on the same day.

Mahomes, who was new to the Chiefs found relief in that he wasn’t the only latecomer, while Kelce, who already had a reputation for being late, was just glad someone else arrived later than him that day.

When Mahomes Spoke About Meeting Taylor Swift

Patrick Mahomes.Jed Jacobsohn/Getty

Since the genesis of their budding romance, Taylor Swift has been spotted bonding with all the people close to Travis, including his mom, dad and Mahomes’ wife, Brittany. So, naturally, fans wondered if Travis’ BFF had met the “Cruel Summer” singer.

“Yeah, I met her,” Mahomes told reporters back in September. “She’s really cool, good people.”

The superstar quarterback then went on to reiterate the tight end’s plans to keep the rumored romance private.

“But like Trav said, man, I’m going to let them have their privacy and just keep it moving,” Mahomes added, referring to Kelce’s comments about the future of his and Swift’s relationship.